Societal Generational Trade-Offs
The panel traded a number of perspectives on societal issues. On the issue of jobs, Professor Damon pointed out there is an unavoidable conflict between people working later in life and the availability of employment for youth. Dr. Hayutin, an economist at the Center, doesn’t see this as a zero sum game – she believes that the number of available jobs is not fixed and that a more productive economy produces more jobs. The panel also tackled entitlements. On healthcare, Professor Litt emphasized the need to work with the younger generation to avoid preventable diseases like obesity that impose huge costs on the healthcare industry. Dr. Shadel pointed out that in terms of healthcare reform, a recent study pointed out that young people actually support mandatory insurance more than older parts of the population. This is perhaps surprising, as they generally require less healthcare.

Student opinions varied considerably on Social Security reform. When the subject of means testing arose, students jumped to the microphone in support of both pro and con positions. Professor Damon pointed out that for the vast majority of people the program has been very beneficial. Dr. Hayutin described how the population has changed since the program was instituted and suggested that gradual changes to eligibility ages was inevitable.

Advice
Near the end of the discussion the panel was asked for final words of advice. Professor Litt suggested that the students think now of their long term health and take care to avoid contributors to chronic disease. Dr. Hayutin suggested that the students should try to look at their lives in the context of the whole life, making good choices for the long run. Dean Saller reminded the students of the benefits of being optimistic and taking a positive approach. Dr. Shadel recommended the students explore their emotions and learn to self-regulate them as this is a key to long-term success.

A Final Note
Professor Carstensen closed the discussion by asked the class for some opinions on how they see themselves. One student commented that it seemed their generation would have to come to terms with being the first to make less than their parents. Dean Saller sounded a note of optimism and suggested that this feeling might be a function only of the current economic situation and that history suggests that economic times change and this generation would likely see better times and benefit greatly from long term health and longevity trends.